Arrow Through Gotham
by Riel Arrow
Summary: Gabriel Queen made a promise. A promise to his grandfather, Oliver, that he would do all he could to make a difference. What Oliver didn't know, as he lay dying, hearing this promise pass through his grandson's lips, was that he planned to do it by taking up his mantle as the new Green Arrow. Now, alongside Terry McGinnis, he would help clean up the streets of Gotham. Promise kept.
1. Not Alone In Gotham

Not Alone in Gotham

It was cold, dark, and filled with the sounds of nocturnal life. Gotham, the oldest city in America, rivaled in fame only by Metropolis. It was famous for it's iconic hero, the Batman. For the past 65 years, Batman had patrolled Gotham's streets, keeping it safe. First, Bruce Wayne wore the cowl. Now, his young protoge, Terry McGinnis wore the bat on his chest. But, as he was about to learn, he was not the only one with the dream to do good. All a man needs to be a vigilante is a reason. A reason, and a weapon. Gabriel Queen had both.

My leather booted feet slapped against the wet rooftops. It was my third or fourth night in Gotham, and as always, I was on the prowl, looking for a fight. I sprinted to the edge, stopping on a dime. I stood for a few seconds, then the sound reached my ears.

A scream.

I smirked, gripping my wooden recurve bow tighter in my left hand. I leapt from the rooftop, landing on a low balcony, close to the platform below, where two brawny thugs were cornering a woman, trying to grab her purse. I crouched, sizing the two up. The bigger of the two grabbed the woman, holding her from behind, while his friend ripped the purse from her. She screamed again, but the thug holding her covered her mouth with his hand, shaking her roughly.

It was time for me to intervene. I quickly and expertly drew an arrow from the quiver on my back, slipping it into the nock faster than the blink of an eye. I drew back the string, aiming for the knee of the thug holding the woman. I exhale… And release.

The arrow finds its mark, and the thug falls, screaming and clutching at his shattered joint, the arrow shaft jutting from the gushing wound. His friend draws a pistol, aiming into the darkness I took the shot from. I leapt down, rolling to reduce the impact of the twelve story jump. I draw another arrow and fire, knocking the gun from his grip. With a bound, I'm in close with the thug, pummeling his abdomen with my right fist, then sending him flying with an airborne knee to his chest.

It's only then that I see the woman.

She's holding the thug's gun… Aiming for my head, her hands shaking, terror in her eyes. "Stay away from me, Freak." She says through chattering teeth.

I begin to walk calmly toward her, and she holds her fire. "I'm warning you." She says, again trying to steady her hands. I keep walking. When I reach her, I slowly wrap my free hand around the gun's barrel, pulling it gently from her grip. She flinches, looking away quickly, squeezing her eyes shut. _When she opens them, I will be gone, _I think to myself.

I sprint to the edge of the platform, diving off, bow in hand. I draw an arrow in freefall, nocking and firing at a building. I grab the cord attached to it, and swing to another rooftop. I land lightly, taking a pause, looking back in the direction I had left the woman. _Always afraid, _I think, _Always afraid of me…_

A voice interrupts my thoughts.

"So you're the one dropping goons on my turf." A gravelly voice echoes behind me. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." I reply, a smirk on my face. "So you're him." I turn to look at him. The black suit blended into the night, but the crimson bat emblem sure as hell didn't. His white optic lenses gave away his position also.

Batman.

"Nice outfit, Robin Hood." He quipped.

I looked down at my green hooded tunic, black leather utility belt, green pants and boots, and grinned. The bow, quiver, and green eye mask didn't help my case.

"Oh, you're giving fashion advice now?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Didn't know winged rodents were in style."

"They are in Gotham." The Batman replied, returning my grin. He shifted to a fighting stance, hands curling into fists. "Let's get this over with."

I laughed. "I'm not here to fight you… McGinnis."

Batman froze. "You… How did you…" He fumbled over his words, his confidence gone. I had him right where I wanted him.

"Take me to Bruce, Terry." I requested, as if asking for help on a trivial matter, friendly smile still in place. "I'm the grandson of, shall we say, a family friend."

Terry hesitated, then I realized, Bruce was giving him orders on what to do. Terry nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Follow me… Queen." His grin returned as he turned and began running, leaping off the roof. I grinned as well, following immediately. I was going to meet the closest thing to family I had left. My grandfather's idol. The original dark knight.

The Batman.


	2. Meeting the Man Behind the Legend

Meeting the Man Behind the Legend

We rode shoulder to shoulder in the Batmobile, crammed into the tight quarters. McGinnis seems quiet, so I try to spark up some conversation.

"Built for one, huh?" I say with a friendly smile.

"Heh, the old man isn't known for offering people rides home." He replies, his grin returning. He flies the machine expertly into a ravine, then into a narrow tunnel.

_This must be it, _I think. _The Batcave. _

A few seconds of speeding down the tunnel, and we break into a dimly lit cavern. Terry brings it to a stop on a platform, killing the engine. The top hatch opens, and he motions for me to get out. I haul myself up and out, hopping down to the ground. The cave is magnificent, momentos of Batman's triumphs dating back sixty years spread out around the cavern, along with the tech he's acquired over his long career as a crimefighter.

I let out a low whistle, as McGinnis drops to the ground next to me.

"Not bad, huh?" Terry asks with a smirk.

"Could be worse." I reply, sounding casual, returning the smirk.

"I'm honored that the last of the Queen family thinks so highly of my home." A deep, slightly hoarse voice called from the center of the cave.

There he stands. Bruce Wayne, a gentleman of about 85, tall and broad, with a head of grey hair and a hardwood cane. His black suit matches the shade of midnight he prowled in for so very long. The man behind the legend.

I walk toward him, off of the landing platform over a narrow footbridge to the main area of the cave. I hold out a hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Wayne."

He takes it, his grip firm. "And yourself, Mr. Queen."

"Call me Gabriel." I correct him.

"Of course." He replies. "And you've no doubt me Terry."

"I have." I look back at him, and he's taking off the cowl. I feel inclined to do the same, so I throw back my hood and pull my mask off, letting my black hair show and my brown eyes be seen clearly. My tanned skin no doubt surprises Bruce, who is expecting a fair skinned, blonde haired Queen. _Courtesy of my Mother, _I think with a smile.

"Here we are then." Wayne says. "Three heroes, unmasked as equals." He says, a thin smile crossing his face. "I understand you wanted to see me?"

"I did." I say, looking him in the eye. "I want to set up shop here, if it's alright by you." I say with an easy smile, as if only asking a minor favor.

"What!?" Exclaims Terry.

"I want to help you." I clarified, turning to smile at Terry.

"You don't think I can handle it?" He sneers.

"Did I say that?" I challenge.

"May as well have!" He shouts angrily.

He steps forward, obviously fighting mad. He shifts to a fighting stance, awaiting my answer to his non verbal challenge. I stay relaxed, calm, and easygoing as ever.

"I mean you no disrespect, and only want to assist." I explain in a calm tone. "Please, let me assist you."

He relaxes, his expression changing from anger to thought in about a second.

"You're in." Bruce interrupts, walking to his chair in front of the Batcomputer, assisted by his cane. "We could use some fresh blood."

"You won't regret it." I assure him, walking closer to his position, followed by McGinnis.

"So, what do we call you?" Terry asks me, apparently no longer angry at my intrusion into his operation.

I think for a moment.

"Arrow will do nicely." I tell the two batmen.

Bruce smiles. "You really are Oliver's blood, whether you look like him or not."

_Biggest compliment I've been given to date, _I think. My new life begins with that thought. I will fight alongside the Batman, to defend Gotham. I will fulfill my promise. I will make him proud. I will...


	3. Train together, Bleed together

Train together, Bleed together

"All you've got McGinnis?" I taunt, deftly blocking a karate round kick toward my face. McGinnis' style might be antiquated, but he was experienced.

"More where that came from, Queen!" He returns, tossing a few quick punches my way. I duck them all, throwing a powerful thai low round at his lower leg, clashing our shins together.

"Damn!" McGinnis backs up, his leg clearly hurt. I lunge, landing a solid elbow on his chin, knocking him down. A thin stream of blood exits his mouth as he hits the floor. I immediately feel bad that I hit him so hard…

"My bad, Terry." I offer a hand. "Don't know what got into me." I offer an easy smile, to try and lighten the mood.

"It's fine." He says, though he stands unassisted.

"You're both improving." Wayne says from his spot at the computer. The cave had been loud with the sounds of our brawling all week. We had been patrolling, but only taken on petty criminals since my arrival. Bruce had outfitted me with a new suit, bow and arrows. The suit amplified my strength, speed, and durability. The bow and arrows were adapted for different enemies. Heat, cold, sonic, and good old broadheads.

"I have a mission for you two." Wayne said, eyes still on his screen.

"What is it, Bruce?" I ask, strolling forward to a few feet from him.

"It's the Jokers." He states. "They've gotten ahold of an improved version of the venom compound."

"So we have roided out Jokers on the loose?" Terry asks, sounding worried.

"We're on it, Bruce." I say calmly, grabbing my bow, and sling my quiver over my shoulders. _Finally, a fight, _I think.

The ride in the Batmobile to our destination was fairly normal. But the tension wasn't. We had never faced superpowered foes together. We had to be ready.

We land and get out a block from our mission objective, on a rooftop. We look at one another, and beg to run to our destination, using grappling arrows and jet boots as necessary. In a matter of minutes, we see them.

Jokers. Huge ones. The veins in their overdeveloped muscles are popping out dangerously, and they look so huge it's unnatural. We had to be cautious.

I move first, drawing a grappling arrow, firing it at the building behind the Jokers, so I can swing down on them. Then I look at Terry. He nods.

I leap. I use the force of my swing to kick one of the four Jokers to the ground, causing him to hit his head and be out of the fight immediately. Terry swoops in, engaging one of the others. I take on another, fending him off with my bow, and my powerful thai kicks. I feel a bone in his leg snap as my shin connects, and another fracture in his face from a strike with my bow. As he staggers back, I draw an incendiary arrow. I pull back and fire in a split second, my arrow slamming into the Joker's massive chest, setting it ablaze. He sprints a few meters, then falls, enveloped in a skin crisping flame.

I look over at Terry. One of the juiced up thugs is holding him from behind, while the other bashes his stomach in. Terry hacks up some blood.

I draw a freeze arrow, aiming at the one doing the pounding. I release, leaving him a clownsicle with a touch of roidrage. The other, I simply take in the knee with a simple broadhead. I rush to Terry's side as he collapses, catching him.

"You're in bad shape." I inform him. "We won't get to Wayne in time to treat you, so where do we go?" I ask, urgency dominating my tone.

"Max's…" He gasps, gurgling around the blood in his mouth. "Directions… In Batmobile." He chokes.

I carry him fireman style to the Batmobile, securing him inside. Then, I access the navigation system, punching in 'Max's.'

And the auto pilot kicks on. We're there in no more than five minutes.

I carry him to the front door, knocking loudly. Then again. And again.

Finally, a pink haired girl with gorgeous mocha skin and green eyes answers the door. The next words out of her mouth surprise me.

"You're a lot cuter than most of Terry's friends." She says, a small smile on her face.

"He needs help." I tell her. "Now!" I snap, losing my composure.

"Bring him in." She commands.

I carry him in, laying him on the coffee table as she instructed. Then, I watch. She performed first aid on him until the next morning, when she informed me he was stable. Then came the interesting part; explaining who I am.

"I'm Gabriel Queen." I hold my hand out to shake, probably looking quite odd in my green Robin Hoodesque costume. She takes it firmly, shaking it.

"Maxine." She says with another small smile. "He's going to be fine, by the way." She says, sensing my concern.

"Good, good." I say, awkwardly at best. "So… Um…"

"You're not good at this are you?" Maxine asks with a smirk.

I laugh. "You got me." I concede. "Terry's the first friend I've had, honestly."

"Well, now you've got one more." She says matter of faculty. "Maxine Gibson, at your service." She introduces again, this time with a small curtsy.

We spend the rest of the morning talking about everything and nothing, waiting for Terry to wake up. Once he does, we return to the cave, ready to rest awhile. I have the feeling I'll be seeing a lot of Max. And oddly enough, I'm excited.


	4. Blood on My Hands, Innocence Lost

Blood on My Hands, Innocence Lost

"What do you mean you don't trust him?" I hear Terry whisper to Bruce as I'm sparring the Killer Croc bot. I strain to hear their whispered conversation while blocking the bot's savage onslaught.

"You heard." Bruce says calmly. "He showed up with no prompting."

"He saved my life." Terry defended.

"Because he had nothing to gain from letting you die." Bruce points out. "He's Oliver's blood, and I'll tolerate him for that reason."

"You're cold, Wayne." Terry says, sounding exasperated.

Angry with the way Bruce feels about me, I duck under one of the bot's swipes, counterpunching. The alloy that comprises it's face dents, and the bot goes flying. I stand there, breathing heavily, while Terry and Bruce look at me, wary of my mood. I stand there, seething for a moment, then I stride to the weapons rack on the other side of the platform.

"I'm going out." I inform them, grabbing my bow, and pulling my hood over my head. "You coming?" I ask Terry, hoping he says yes.

"No, I need to train." He says, sounding a little apologetic. "If the bot still works…" He smirks at me.

"My bad, McGinnis." I say with a shrug as I walk toward the exit tunnel. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

I sprint across the rooftops, leaping the gaps, feeling my rage slip away. I begin to understand Bruce's logic, and recover my happiness that he allows me to stay. _Gotta respect the reasonable suspicion, _I think. I stop. _How the hell did I end up here? _I had sprinted straight to Max's apartment building.

"Right on time." I say with a grin. I catch sight of the pink haired girl walking up to the front door of the place. _Maybe I should pop in to say hi… _My trademark smirk comes back, as I begin to form a plan.

I shoot a grappling arrow, and tug the string as it buries itself in the wall above Max's bedroom window. I climb the thirty feet from the platform the building is on, to avoid the noise of a lift motor. The look on her face will be worth the effort. I perch on her windowsill, opening it silently. I creep in, to see her on the computer, totally oblivious to my presence. I sneak behind her.

_She's going to kill me… _

I tap her on the shoulder, covering her mouth at the same time. I hear a muffled scream, than let her go.

"You jerk!" She shouts, furious.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." I say with a laugh.

"You could've given me a panic attack." She says, starting to smile a bit herself. "What are you doing here, anyway?" She asks.

"Terry's back at the cave, and we don't patrol for another hour, so I thought I'd come say hey." I tell her nonchalantly. _No need to throw in "The old man doesn't trust me, so I stormed off," _

"I'm glad you did." She says, smiling.

"Yeah, me too." I agree, not really knowing what else to say.

"Sooooo…" Max says, drawing out the word.

That word leads to an entire night of talking, getting to know each other. I learn about how she's into computers, and how she got into helping out Batman. And she asks about my archery skills, and what it's like to be part of one of the richest families in the world.

"What do you mean being rich isn't so great?" She exclaims, surprised by my answer.

"People look at you differently when you have money." I tell her. "And then there's my grandfather, always pushing me to be like him."

"How so?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"He taught me to shoot, to fight, and left me on an island called Lian Yu for a year…" I confess. "He taught me well, but at the cost of me being a child."

"You never had a childhood?" She asks, looking sympathetic.

"No." I answer, looking toward her window.

"No friends, no school, no nothing?" She continues to prod.

"You and Terry are my first friends." I tell her, shifting uncomfortably.

Silence.

For the next fifteen minutes we sit there in an uncomfortable silence. Then, I get up, grabbing my bow from her bed. "I should go." I say.

"You don't have to go." Max says. "I shouldn't have asked those things, it isn't my business." She apologizes.

"No,no." I say, holding up a hand. "You have a right to know, since we'll be working together." I tell her, smiling to alleviate the discomfort of her apology.

"Only working together?" She asks, sounding slightly disappointed. She frowned slightly, looking a little sad.

"For now, yes." I say, walking toward the window. "Later, who knows?"

Without listening for her answer, I leap out her window, grabbing the rope I had placed there earlier. I slide down without any effort.

It was time for my patrol, anyway.

I run up to Terry, who's waiting at our usual spot; the top of the clocktower. H's suited up and ready to go.

"Paid Max a visit, huh?" He asks without looking at me, smirking in his cowl.

"Could say that." I say, grinning back. "Been tracking me, Bats?"

"Maybe."

"Right…"

We take a moment to survey the city, as we do every time we meet here. From here, it looks like an accomplishment. We both know it isn't. It's filthy, crime infested, and corrupt. It needs us, now more than ever. Batman and Arrow.

"What's the old man got for us tonight?" I ask, breaking our sightseeing time.

"A copycat Mr. Freeze." Terry answers, looking at me grimly.

"Really" I ask, interested. "Do tell."

"Alexander Lauton, an ex cop." Terry says. "Broke into the evidence locker, and stole Freeze's equipment."

"Sounds good." I say. "Where do we start?"

"We think he's in the old power plant, near the harbor." Terry informs me. "It's around twenty eight degrees for a four block radius."

Without another word, we both start heading for the place, using grappling arrows and flight boots to speed up our trip, but never losing sight of each other. Within the hour, we're there. Snow falls around us, even though the rest of Gotham is enjoying a seventy degree night. We had found him, without a doubt.

"Let's go say hi?" I ask.

"Take the front, I'll come in from the skylight." Terry says, jetting up to the roof.

I nock an arrow, walking up to the double doors of the plant. I kick them in, raising my bow. What I see chills me to the bone. _No pun intended… _

The hulking steel monstrosity in front of me was plugged directly into the plant's grid. That was why the temperature had changed so dramatically.

Enough thinking, I release the arrow. It bounces harmlessly off, leaving a gouge in the metal. The man in the suit bellows, seeming to be in no mood for a monologue, unlike Freeze. He raises his left arm, a giant freeze cannon, and fires at me. I leap out of the way rollin, and weaving. After a few minutes, I start to tire.

_Where are you Terry? _

I stand to raise my bow, an arrow nocked. I release. Then, everything goes dark. Dark, and very, very cold.

I wake up.

"He's awake!" I hear Max's voice.

I sit up, looking around. We're in the cave, Max beside me on the table, looking worried. Terry, comes rushing over, followed by Wayne. I was shivering.

"What happened?" I ask Terry.

"Ran into some of Lauton's goons on the roof, so I couldn't come straight down." He recaps. "By the time I got down you were frozen."

"I was frozen?" I ask.

"Yes." Bruce answers. "I thawed you out, and Max here treated you injuries."

"Thanks…" I start to say to her, then a thought enters my head. "Where's Lauton?"

Silence.

"No…" I say. "I didn't… I couldn't have…."

Wayne answers me. "You did."

Deep inside, I had know. I aimed for the delicate glass dome that covered his head. Lauton was dead, killed in a shower of glass, and my arrow piercing his skull. I had killed him.

"I need some air." I say calmly, more calmly than I was comfortable with. I stand, grab my bow, and exit the cave into the manor.

"You shouldn't have done that." Max says to Bruce, accusingly.

"You would have me lie to him? No." He says, not bothering to look at her, eyes on the darkness. " He knew."

Max looks at Terry, who nodded. "I saw him fire the arrow, Max." Terry told her. "I don't blame him, but he did kill Lauton."

And Max fell silent. Not because she was shocked, but because she was worried. Worried about what Gabriel might do to himself for this.

And that was the night I lost my innocence. The night that my once clean hands encountered an unfamiliar copper scented coating; Blood.


	5. Dealing With Demons

Dealing With Demons

I stand on the edge of the rooftop, contemplating my actions. I had killed a man, who had at that point, done nothing to deserve such a fate. He no doubt had plans to rob, destroy and murder, but he hadn't carried them out yet. No… I had seen to that. _I'm a murderer… No better than the men I've sworn to fight. _

I cringe at my own thoughts, hurting to my very core. I was used to knowing that I was a hero, a single man hoping to make difference. Those days of absolute certainty were over. My once clean hands were bathed in this man's blood.

"You alright?" I hear Max's voice behind me. She no doubt used the tracker, and had Terry drop her at the ground floor in the Batmobile. I had heard her from two floors up…

"No." I say, not wanting to create an illusion.

"You did what you had to." She assures me. "That suit had one weak point, and you manipulated it." She says, always the logical one.

"And now he's dead." I say, my voice as hollow as my soul.

"Yes… He is…" She says. Even Max couldn't work her way past that point. "Do you even realize how long you've been gone?" She asks, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Several days?" I guess, not entirely sure.

"A week." She says. "You've been wandering the city for a week now."

"Oh…" I almost whisper, then falling silent.

"You need to come home, Gabriel." She says with pleading emerald eyes, filled with sympathy and sorrow. "We miss you." She continues. "I miss you…"

That catches my attention. Only three weeks in Gotham and I already had this much of her attention? I was beginning to realize that I had missed her as well… _And the others, too. Terry and Bruce, even Ace, _I think.

A soft grip ensnares my right hand. Max is trying to lead me to the stairwell. "Please come back to the cave?" She pleads once more.

I stop, contemplating.

"Alright, fine." I finally agree, seeing no reason not to. I had been gone long enough already, and the city needed me.

She leads me down to the back alley where Terry is waiting with the Batmobile. The trip home to the cave is short, albeit cramped. Three is too many for the car, so we're all crushed.

When we get there, we all get out immediately, relieved for the space. I see the object of my dread standing before me; Bruce Wayne. I feared the loss of his respect more than almost anything. But his face didn't seem as cold as usual. It was almost reassuring. Almost…

"Good to have you back." He says, a small smile playing on his lips. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm better." I say, ready to quit my moping and get back to work.

"Good, because we're going to need you." He says, his smile disappearing.

"What have you got for me?" I ask, my grip tightening on my bow. I was itching to get back into the crimefighting game. I needed to go out and fight.

"It's Deathstroke." Bruce says. "He's running a contract in Gotham."

"He was close with my father, on Lian Yu." I say, remembering the stories of Slade Wilson's prowess in battle. He was a legend, the only man to defeat Batman in single combat. The strength of ten men, the whole package.

"That can't be of importance." Bruce says evenly. "He must be stopped."

"Of course." I say. "I'm ready."

"We'll see." Bruce says. "Go with Terry, he's already been briefed."

And with that, the old man goes back to his usual spot at the computer, and me and Terry hop back in the car. Max stays behind, to offer any support she can. I look at her before hopping into the cockpit, and she blows me a kiss. I smile, if only briefly, before getting in the car. Terry punches it once we're both secure, and we're off to the warehouse Deathstroke is holed up in.

Silence. We were both uneasy to face such an opponent. He was experienced, powerful, and ruthless. Even my grandfather couldn't beat him…

We were here. The rickety warehouse was made of old sheet metal, on the edge of the narrows. The kind of place Slade would prefer.

"Ready?" Terry asks me.

"Absolutely." I say with an easy smile, trying to exude an air of calm.

He nods, opening the top hatch, and leaping out. I follow, and we sprint to the side of the place. I use a grappling arrow, and he uses his claws to climb to the top. We sprint to the skylight, and see Wilson sitting at a steel desk looking at his laptop, no doubt awaiting orders from his benefactor.

I look at Terry, who nods. We leap simultaneously, smashing through the glass, rolling on impact to diffuse the force. Slade doesn't stand, so I nock a broached, just to be ready.

"Batman and Arrow, yes?" He asks in a light Australian accent. "Right on time." He says with a chuckle. He was expecting us.

"Here to take you in, Deathstroke!" Terry shouts, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"I very much doubt that." He says behind his orange and black mask. "You're my contracts, not the other way around." He stands, drawing on of his twin katana.

Terry rushes in, ready to get up close and personal, and I release my arrow. Slade catches my arrow with his free hand and slashes at Terry with his sword. I nock and release two more arrows in quick succession, but he dodges the first, and cuts the second in half with his sword, all while fending off Terry's punches and kicks. I begin to see how outmatched we are…

"Batman, move!" I shout. He complies, backflipping to safety with the assistance of his jet boots. I nock an incendiary arrow, and release. As expected, Slade catches it.

"Best you can do?" He taunts, holding the arrow. I simply smile, and a split second later, it ignites, setting his left arm ablaze. He screams, waving his arm to put the fire out. Then, unexpectedly, he rushes me. "I'll kill you!" He bellows.

Unable to nock another arrow, I fend off his sword blows with my bow, countering when I can with my free hand, elbows, knees, and shins. We break apart as Terry rushes into the fray, and Slade draws his other katana.

"You two are better than I thought you'd be." He admits. "But not good enough." He says with a humorless laugh. "I saved the first Green Arrow's life many times; Is this my repayment?" He asks me.

I hesitate, the exact move he expected. He throws his sword, slashing my right chest, leaving a large, bloody tear. Then, he charges Terry, unleashing a barrage of slashes with his remaining blade. I fall back, clutching my side, my bow a foot from me. I try to reach it, but come up short by about a foot. Terry's losing. Badly…

I try to reach again, this time crawling, working through my moral indecision and physical agony. My best friend needs help… And I plan to deliver, no matter the cost. Slade backs Terry up to a wall, his back to me, blade to Terry's throat.

I wrap my fingers around my bow, raising it. I draw an arrow, nocking it in an eyeblink. I draw the string back.

Exhale.

Release.

The arrow strikes Slade in his midback, causing hi to drop his blade, and stagger forward. He falls to the floor, and I pray he isn't dead. I owed him that much.

Then, it goes dark…. _Seems to be happening a lot these days…, _My last thought floats though my head.

I awaken in the cave, my side patched up and medicated. No pain, no blood, no problem. I stand, looking around. Wayne is in the middle of the chamber, alone.

"You nearly got killed." He said accusingly. "You nearly got Terry killed!" His voice raise, and he points an accusing finger at me.

I remain silent. I know he's right, and I'm ashamed of the way I handled Slade.

"But," Wayne says in a normal tone of voice. "You salvaged the situation, and brought Slade in alive." He recaps, knowing I was worried about Slade's condition.

"I thought I owed him at least that much…" I say, looking at the cave's stony floor.

"And now that debt is repaid." Wayne says coldly. "Good work, you can go." He says, walking back to the computer.

I head upstairs to find Max and Terry on the couch in the sitting room.

"Gabriel!" Max shouts, jumping over the back of the couch to come hug me. "I was worried…" She says, looking down, her arms still around the back of my neck.

"Me, too." Terry says, striding up. "Not hugging you, though." He says with a smile.

"I'm fine, guys." I say. "Really"

We sit on the couch, talking, and eventually Terry has to go home. Me and Max have the sitting room all to ourselves, so we sit close together on the couch, watching TV and talking.

"Can I ask you something?" She asks, looking at me with those emerald eyes.

"You just did." I point out, flipping the channel.

"Whatever!" She says, smacking my arm. "So… When Slade cut you… Did you think you were going to die?" She asks, working through her words slowly.

I think for a moment.

"I guess I figured." I say. "I was more worried about Terry, really." I say, remembering my thoughts of how I would feel if he died on my watch.

"You really care about him, huh?" She asks, gazing at me.

"Almost as much as I care about you." I say without thinking, looking back into her gorgeous eyes. Our faces get closer, so close I can feel her breath on my lips…

"Ahem." I hear Bruce in the background. We snap out of it, looking in his direction, genuinely annoyed. "Ms. Gibson, I have a cab outside to take you home."

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne." She says, smiling through her disappointment.

She stands, and kisses me on the cheek before exiting the room, headed toward the front door and her ride home. I look at Bruce.

"Couldn't have given me a minute, Old Man?" I ask, smirking at him.

"There are very few things I can't tolerate; Crime, corruption, and teenagers frenching on my sofa." And with that, Bruce moves toward the stairs, off to bed, probably.

I sit, smiling to myself. _Next time, Max…. Next time. _


	6. Battered by Love

Battered by Love

I stand at the edge of one of the tallest buildings in Gotham. The Wayne Powers headquarters reminds me a lot of the Queen Consolidated building in Starling, so I come here when I miss home. I perch an inch from nearly a mile's fall to the street below, but my footing is sure, steady, and nearly unbreakable.

"You come here often?" I hear Max's satiny voice behind me, almost seeing her wide grin without turning to look at her. I keep my eyes on the skyline.

"You know that I do." I say, smiling. "After all, that's why you're here, isn't it?"

"You got me." She says, bouncing up behind me, taking my hand i her own. The action surprised me, but I didn't show it. I just smiled, remembering a few nights ago at the manor. I turn toward her, looking into her emerald eyes, touching her cheek with my free hand. Our faces grow closer, and finally, we kiss.

It isn't particularly intricate, but the passion in it is unmistakable. And just like last time, we're interrupted by a bat…

"What are you two kids doing up here at this hour?" I hear Terry's slightly mocking voice. He had snuck up on me, but I was a little preoccupied.

Our kiss breaks. "We're a bit busy, McGinnis." I say with a smirk, looking at him. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Not for another hour or so." He says, returning the smirk. "We got trouble."

" 'Course we do." I say, striding toward McGinnis, snatching my new compound bow up on the way. "What do we got?" I ask, hefting my new weapon in my left hand.

"New bow holding up?" McGinnis asks, ignoring my question.

"Yeah, but different from what I'm used to." I tell him. "My recurve was lighter, and easier to maneuver."

"Any perks for the switch?" McGinnis asks me, raising an eyebrow beneath his black cowl. "Sounds like a raw deal, so far."

"It's more accurate, has a higher rate of fire, and is more durable for use as a melee weapon." I say, recapping my earlier analysis of the weapon.

McGinnis answers me with only a low whistle.

"Now," I say, hefting the bow again. "What's the situation?" I ask again.

"Solomon Grundy." Terry says simply, smiling at me. "Hope your new bow is a real knockdown, drag-out weapon, 'cause that's the kind of fight we're headed for."

"Guess we'll see." I say, smirking at him, then I look at Max. She closes her eyes… And then she feels me slip away. She opens them, only to see herself alone on the rooftop.

"Queen…" She says to herself quietly, allowing herself a small smile.

"That was pretty cold back there, leaving Max without a goodbye." McGinnis says, shoulder to shoulder with me in the Batmobile. "We stand a good chance of not coming back on this one." He says, looking at me.

"I know." I tell him, not returning the gaze. "That's why I couldn't say it."

The ride is silent after that, as Terry is no doubt thinking of Dana. I have my own girl on my mind, so now I understand his problem. I used to think it was weak. Now I get it… And it stings.

"We're here." Terry says, breaking me free from my reverie. "Grundy's close."

"So I see…" I say, cringing at the crushed cars, littered across the massive street. Grundy was here alright. And he's not happy.

We leap from the car, landing on the street to take a closer look. We pick up his trail, and begin to track our quarry. Not that it's hard. _Just follow the trail of pain, and destruction… _

"Ssh." I hear McGinnis ' warning. We see Grundy, hunched over, breathing heavily. He turns at the sound of our light footsteps, fixing his predatory gaze on Terry. He roars, "Stupid Bat!" He coils his muscles to spring. "Leave Grundy alone!" And he leaps, arms above his head, ready to crush us.

We leap out of the way, in opposing directions. I roll to diffuse the impact, and turn to Grundy, an arrow drawn. I see McGinnis dodging the heavy handed blows Grundy was dishing out. "Grundy crush you!" He roars.

I release, drawing and firing again, and again. Before I realize how low on arrows I am, Grundy turns. He looks at me, a dozen arrows in his back. He charges, unfazed by the twelve piercing wounds in his back. "Damn!" I curse, diving out of his way, rolling behind an SUV. _Wish I'd given her that goodbye… _

I duck under another crushing blow, trying my very best not to get my head bashed open. I see Terry run at him, dealing a flying kick to Grundy's side. Grundy roars in pain, swiping at Terry, missing due to his clumsiness. I fire another arrow at him, realizing that we're tiring… _And since he's a freakin' zombie, he isn't. _

Grundy smashes into Terry, knocking him aside like a ragdoll. Then, he takes another charge at me, sprinting as fast as he can move his heavy body. I don't have the energy to move quickly enough, and as I try to dodge, he smashes into me, knocking me across the ground.

"Agh…" I groan, my body aching. I grab my bow, dragging it to myself. _Don't have the strength to pull it back anyway… _

"Grundy smash!" I hear, ready to die. Ready to leave my life of fighting behind. My part in this war, over. My opportunity to be with Max, over. Everything. Over.

And then the deafening sound of an explosion above me. Then, nothing but dark. Dark, and silence.

"Gabriel." I hear Max's satiny voice, worried. On the brink of tears, from the sound. "Gabriel, please." I hear her, calling me. "Not like this…" I hear, her desperation leaking into my semi conscious mind.

I feel some strength return to my battered body, and I open my eyes. Her emerald orbs are the first thing I see. Then, her mocha skin, glistening in the dim light of the cave. And finally, her sexy, pixie cut pink hair.

"Max…" I groan. "I'm not dead, am I?" I ask, smiling.

"Not yet." I hear Terry cut in. "But you were close." He tells me, sitting down next to the table I'm resting on. He looks to have been beaten nearly as bad as I had. "I had one more explosive batarang, and it saved us both." He recaps for me.

"And Grundy?" I ask.

"In pieces, bagged and stored in different parts of the Gotham sewer system." He says. "Won't stop him from coming back, but it'll slow him down."

"Good." I say, looking absently at Max. "Can we have a minute, Terry?"

"Sure…" Terry says, walking aways slowly, looking worried. _He knows what I'm going to do, _I think to myself. A sad smile crosses my face.

"What was that about?" Max asks me, looking a little unhappy.

"We need to talk." I say simply, not looking at her.

"Okay…" She says, drawing the word out to show her annoyance.

"We shouldn't see each other anymore…" I tell her, pretending that I'm not destroying our relationship. Pretending that I'm not hurting this wonderful woman.

"What are you talking about?" She asks me, her annoyance turning to heartbreak in a split second. "But we're just starting to-" I cut her off by holding up a hand.

"And I'm sorry about that." I say. "I'm bad for you, and you're bad for me." I say.

"How!?" Max shouts at me. "How are you bad for me?" She asks, her volume dropping. "Don't do this." She says, not waiting for my answer.

"You'll be okay." I tell her. "There are better guys out there than me."

"No." She says. "Not for me." She says. "And I know what this is." She says in quiet voice.

I sit up on the table, feeling a sharp pain in my abdomen. "And what exactly is this?" I ask, ignoring the dull ache throughout my whole body.

"You're afraid!" She yells in my face. "You're scared to have a relationship with me because you barely know how to have a friend." She says, much more quietly.

I freeze. _Son of a bitch…_ And then I know she's right. That I'm more afraid to commit to our relationship than I was when I thought Grundy was going to kill me. That I'm antisocial. That I'm running away. That I'm being a damned coward.

"Queen!" Max breaks my reverie, still angry. "I'm yelling at you, the least you can do is listen!" She continues to scream at me.

I smile to myself, as if she's not there, amused at how stupid I'd been.

"You're not even-" And, for a second time, I cut her off with a kiss. A long, passionate kiss, to try to get across how sorry I am. How bad I feel for nearly leaving her. For nearly running away.

The kiss breaks. We're both breathing hard, and Max is blushing slightly.

"You're still in trouble." She says, smiling at me.

"I know…" I agree with her, smiling back. "And I'm so, so sorry."

i say. "You're right, I am afraid."

"Well, you don't have to be." She says, caressing my cheek. "Not of me, anyway." She corrects, still smiling.

So I take that as my cue to kiss her again.

And that night, we didn't use any more words to express ourselves. We let ourselves go, and as if on cue…

"Ms. Gibson, we'll be needing the cave, now." Bruce says formally in the doorway of the cave. "A car is waiting for you outside."

"Wonderful." Max says, pulling her face from mine. "I'll be seeing you." She tells me quietly, before getting to her feet, and striding to the entrance. As she leaves, Bruce walks toward me, assisted by his cane.

"You didn't break it off with her." He says.

I'm blindsided. "How did you know I was going to-" He cuts me off.

"Because I've done it quite a few times myself." He tells me. "And look at me now."

"You're a hero." I tell him, angry with how he's talking about himself.

"An ex-hero." He corrects. "One who has no one to spend his time with but a black german shepherd and three teenagers." He continues, "But maybe, if I hadn't chased off every woman who'd ever loved me, I wouldn't have this mansion to myself." He says, regret deeply rooted in his tone.

"So…" I say. "I did the right thing?" I ask him, hoping he'll say that I did.

"We'll see." He says with a smile. "Like I said, I have no experience in such things." He laughs humorlessly. "But I am glad you avoided breaking that young lady's heart." He adds, then walking to his spot at the computer, the conversation over.

"Yeah." I say, knowing he can't hear me. "Me too…" I lay back down, falling asleep as soon as my head hits the table. And I fall asleep smiling...


	7. Frostbite

Frostbite

And, for the hundredth time that hour, the arrow strikes dead center. I had been firing from fifty yards for near thirty minutes, now. And it was no different from twenty, thirty, or forty. Flawless accuracy. I smile to myself, grateful for my grandfather's training, even though he hadn't meant for me to take up his mantle.

I draw another arrow, and draw the bow. Eye on target… Release. My current arrow strikes it's predecessor dead center, splitting it neatly down the middle, as though it were wood and not carbon fiber. A low whistle echoes throughout my archery range section of the cave. It's in the bottom of the chasm, so as to provide me with the range I require for complex distance shots.

"Trouble, McGinnis?" I ask, nocking another arrow, but not drawing it.

"What?" He asks, walking toward me, clad in his suit. "I can't come see my best friend unless there's trouble?" He says in a tone of mock hurt, a smirk adorning his face.

"That's what I said." I say, smiling as I draw my bow and fire, hitting my mark once again, splitting another arrow. "So, who is it this time?" I ask, looking to my friend.

"We don't know." He says. "But everywhere they've been, the crime scene is completely iced over, and there are traces of mutated DNA." He says.

"Another Freeze copycat?" I ask, shuddering at the memory of my confrontation with Lauston, and his subsequent death. I walk towards the exit, and Terry follows.

"We don't think so." He says. "Freeze's gear is still in lock up, where we left it."

"What's the rap sheet?" I ask. "Robbery, espionage, blackmail?" I rattle off a few of my personal favorites.

"So far, only murder." Terry tells me. "Nothing is ever missing from the scene, and no one is ever left alive." He says, a troubled look on his face.

"Then we'd better get to work." I say, grinning at the Bat. "Who do we think is next?" I ask, getting serious again.

"By Bruce's calculations…" Terry starts. "Commissioner Gordon." He says, a sigh escaping his lungs afterward.

Without another word, we get ready for a fight against a cold oriented opponent. He gears up with plasma batarangs, while I load my quiver with half regular brodheads, six thermite high heat arrows, and six sonic shatter arrows. Then, waiting no time, we get in the car, speeding off toward Barbara's home.

It's the dead of night, and as we pull up, we notice that the lights are off. _Barb and her husband are either asleep, or already dead, _I think to myself.

We, both leap out of the Batmobile, sprinting for the shadow on the sides of the house. Then, we both proceed to the roof. He climbs, using his claws, and I use a simple rope arrow, climbing up the rope to avoid the noise a grappling arrow would make. Once on the roof, we both rush to the skylight.

"Look!" Terry whispers, pointing to a figure standing in the sitting room. Mist rolls off her shapely, feminine form, her glasslike surface cold and smooth. She appears to be composed completely of ice, resembling a chiseled glass mannequin. She glides over to a portrait of Barbara and her husband that hangs over the fireplace, putting her finger on Barb's chest. She drags her finger in two swift motions, making a frosty "x" cut over Barbara's heart. We had seen enough.

We crashed one after another through the skylight, rolling to disperse the impact. I sprang to my feet, firing an already nocked arrow. The glassy figure holds up a hand, freezing my arrow in a pillar of solid ice. As expected. The sonic arrow goes off, shattering the pillar, and knocking our mystery girl to the floor.

"Now, let's make our introductions." I say, walking calmly across the room to where she lies. "I'm Arrow."

She glares up at me, murder in her clear, cold eyes.

"Killer Frost." She says simply, her glare replaced with a smile. "Pleasure!" She shouts, hurling an ice shard at me.

I leap out of the way, signaling Terry to jump into the fray. He engages her in close combat, throwing savage punches and kicks. She seems to not be an experienced hand to hand combatant, and for a while, with me laying down suppressive fire as always, Terry seems to have gained the upper hand, knocking her back. "You're not doing so hot." Terry taunts. "Please, tell me you're just warming up." He says with a smile, unashamed of his awful puns.

"I think it's time someone cooled you off, Hot Stuff." Frost replies, freezing Terry's feet to the floor, and locking another of my arrows with her ice pillars.

"Batman!" I shout, sprinting toward Frost, unleashing an onslaught of melee blows at her, using my bow as a kind of one handed club, while working my thai knees and shins at her. She used ice pillars to deflect the brunt of my assault.

"Arrow, wait!" I hear Terry call, but I continue to fight, ignoring my friend's warning. My muscles are starting to tire from exertion, but so do hers.

"Your hand to hand skills are weak." I point out. "There's no way an amateur like you can compete with an experienced combatant."

She backs away. "You're correct, unfortunately." She admits. "But, I have one last request." She says, a small smile on her face.

I give in, and indulge her. After all, I have her right where I want her.

"Let's hear it." I say, grinning at her.

"Arrow, no!" Terry shouts, but is ignored once more. "It's a-"

"FREEZE!" Frost shouts as she coats me with ice. Everything goes dark, and it reminds me of Lauton. Of my guilt. And those are my dreams. Reliving his murder over and over in a block of cold, hard pain.

"What do you mean she took him?!" Max shrieks back at the cave. "You just LET her!" She accuses Terry.

"Of course not!" Terry defends. "He thought he had her beat, but she was too powerful." He explained. "She froze him, then dragged the block off someplace…"

"We have to do something!" Max screams, her agony apparent in her tone. "We need to find him." She says, more quietly.

"And we will." Bruce cuts in from his spot at the computer. "I promise."

When Bruce Wayne has that kind of conviction in his voice, whatever he just said soon becomes reality. Or so Max hopes…


	8. Weak

Weak

I wake to a world of dark and cold. My body is sore, and my costume is nowhere to be found. I sit on the dirty floor of a stone cell, left only to think of ho badly I had screwed up. I got too close to Frost, even humored her. I thought our victory was assured, and it may have cost Terry his life. And here I was, defeated, sitting on the floor of a filthy cell, dressed in equally filthy rags. _Damn me. _

The door creaks open, and in walks a muscular, masculine figure I've never seen before. I squint, willing my eyes to adjust faster. I take in the man's every detail. His graying black hair, his weather beaten arabian complexion. I notice his many scars from years of combat, but also his air of authority and intelligence. He was important, and I feel his air of power dominate the small space.

"Greetings." He says. "You are Gabriel Queen, no?" He asks, a thin smile crossing his face, and a tone of refined arrogance entering his tone.

I don't answer. I only glare back into his overconfident gaze, making my defiance very clear. _He knows me… And found me in costume. Damn it all…_

"I hope Frost didn't harm you." He says, moving further into my cell. "She attacks her work with a certain…" He pauses as he comes within a foot of me. "Exuberance." He finishes, baring his teeth in a predatory grin.

I was finished with the games. "Who are you?" I demand to know through clenched teeth. I was nearly in a rage. "What do you want from me?" I ask, rage shaking my battered body.

"Now, now." The man chided. "Is that any way to speak to a man who has something to offer." He paused, clicking his tongue. "Something that even the legendary Batman came to me to obtain."

This caught my attention. I know this man…

"R'as Al Ghul." I say, certainty in my voice. "Grandmaster of the league of assassins, and the former master of many great killers." I say.

"You know of me." R'as states. "I'm absolutely flattered."

"Now I know what you want." I say, thinking out loud.

"Not so much what I desire, as what you crave, dear boy." He says in a patronizing tone. "I offer you the power you have always sought."

"You want to train me?" I ask, not so much a question as a statement of fact. "Why?" I ask, my eyes narrowing in distrust. "I'm no assassin."

"And I do not wish for you to be my assassin." He says, smiling again. "I have many assassins, and they would be of no use in this situation." He tells me.

"Then what?" I ask, curious as to his meaning.

R'as looks away, his expression growing dark and weary. "I grow old, my boy." He says, a chuckle rumbling in his throat. "I may not look it, but one day soon, I will lose my will to walk this earth." He looks back to me. "Before my final rest, I wish to leave behind one positive thing for this world." He says. "A crusader, trained in the ways of the shadows, like the dark knight before you." He explains.

"What about the new Batman?" I ask, referring to Terry.

"Doing a fine job, no doubt." He says. "But no doubt you want to be more… competitive with him, no?" He asks.

It's true. I do want the power to be Terry's equal. His suit is more advanced than my own, and he's been trained by the dark knight himself. No doubt Bruce left the gadgets and my suit less powerful in case Terry ever had to stop me. The fact that they had even thought of something like it tore at my very soul…

"You're right." I admit. "I'm jealous of the advantages he has…"

"Then allow me to assist you." R'as says. "I can give you his strength, his speed, his stealth." A gleam crosses his gaze. "And the beauty is, you will need no assistance from any gadgetry." His smile returns as he delivers his last line.

I stand, looking R'as in the eyes. "No suit?" I ask, studying his face.

"No suit," He assures me. "Only some slight modifications to your body, and many hours of training." He says. "You have my word, as a warrior." He holds out his hand, no doubt to shake.

I stand, considering. My chance had come, to increase my power so I could finally stand on equal terms with Terry. So we could be real partners.

I take the hand, grip it firmly, and shake.

MONTHS LATER…

I duck under the strike, and counter with three quick punches of my own, driving R'as back. He was fighting at maybe three quarters speed, but I'm proud to be holding my own, nonetheless. He kicks, and I deflect it down with my elbow. We had been fighting for nearly an hour, and I was beginning to tire. I moved to counter, and felt a heavy palm strike to my chest, launching me back, causing me to sprawl on the ground. The pain is excruciating… A nerve strike.

"Uugh…" I groan, my heart skipping a beat.

"Stand." R'as commands, his voice booming. I do ask he says, albeit slowly. His countenance changes from harsh to proud in a split second. "You're ready."

My face lights up. "Really?" I ask, not believing him. "For…?" I ask, not daring to suggest it._ Maybe it really is time…_

"That is correct." He says. "You are ready for the Mira Kuru version 2.0." He says. "Follow me." He instructs. "I'll be administering the serum personally."

And with that, we walk from the training grounds, on our way to the infirmary wing of our mountain training facility. My time of strength is now upon me…

"This is going to be quite painful." R'as warns. "And your body will be very different after the procedure." He tells me, a stern look on his face.

I nod, not in the mood for any more meaningless words.

R'as picks up the syringe, and slides the needle into my arm. He slowly empty the serum into my waiting vein. Then I feel an intense burning, spreading from my arm to the rest of my body.

The last sound I remember is the sound of my own pained screaming.


	9. Strong

Strong

"Gabriel." I hear R'as' voice, calm and elegant as ever, drawing me from my slumber. "You hear me, I know it." He says. "Awaken."

My eyes open, and I sit up in a flash. Too fast… my head begins to spin, and I nearly fall off the table. I wait for my senses to settle, and then look around my surroundings. Things seem… Brighter. More color to my surroundings than I had ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Though we were in low light, I could see better than I ever had before. I swing my legs over the side of the operating table, and look to the doorway. R'as stands there, a triumphant smile upon his features.

"We've done it, Gabriel." Says R'as. "You are now the perfect fighter." He strides up to me, holding out a hand. "Congratulations."

I take the hand without hesitation, gripping softly, fully aware of my new strength. "Thank you." I say, pausing. "You wouldn't happen to have a mirror around here?" I ask, looking at him worriedly.

He smiles. "Of course." He says, turning to walk towards the door. "Right this way. my boy." He instructs, and I follow him, eager to see my new body.

We arrive in my old quarters, a mirror newly installed upon the wall. It's clearly new, just for the occasion. _How long was I out… _I wonder, quickly deciding I didn't want to know. I walk up to the mirror, albeit hesitantly. R'as watches me intently, awaiting my reaction to whatever changes have befallen my form.

I gasp at how different I look. How animalistic. How primal.

"No way…" I breath, almost silent. My extra weight had been stripped off, taking me from one hundred and sixty pounds to maybe one forty five. But my muscular structure was completely on display. Every muscle fiber is visible, and when I twitch, every movement is evident. My eyes are different, having gone from brown to a shiny gold, like those of a hawk. I'm so different I barely register it's me. And I love it…

"You are the pinnacle of a warrior." R'as says from the doorway. "Drink it in."

"Oh, I am." I assure him. "But I have one question." I tell him.

"And it is…?" He asks, his smile fading.

"What happens to me now?" I ask. "Am I free to go?"

R'as' smile returns. "As I said, you are the one positive thing to come out of an old man's chaotic life." He says, his voice taking on a weary tone. "You do with it as you see fit, my child."

"Then I'll be returning to Gotham, within the hour." I say. "It's been a pleasure." I say to him. We exchange bows, and I'm on a plane back to Gotham, within a half hour as I had planned. _How am I going to explain myself… _I think. My appearance, and my long period of absence would be a tricky thing to explain. _Especially to Max… _

After I get off the plane, it's a short cab ride to the manor. I stride up to the place, letting myself in as if I hadn't been gone for god knows how long. No one is in the sitting room, so I proceed to the cave. It is after dark, after all.

I walk down the steps to see Bruce standing in the middle of the main level of the cave, looking dead in my direction. "You've been gone a long time, Queen." He says, suspicion barely veiled in his tone. "Where have you been?" He asks me.

I say the first thing to come to mind. "In the mountains, training." I say,

"With?" He asks, his eyes boring into me.

"I was alone." I tell him, my conviction unwavering, and my voice steady.

We stare into each other's for a long moment, until he turns to walk to his normal spot at the computer. "When you want to tell me the truth, I'll be here." He says, sitting down, petting Ace's head absently from his chair.

I sigh. Of course he didn't buy it, but I didn't care. I had work to do, and now I was back to do it. I was ready. I was strong.


	10. One Door Closes

One Door Closes…

I drop to the floor of Max's living room from the window sill. I want to catch her alone, to explain what happened. I'd already gone to see Terry the previous night. He'd been surprisingly cool with how little I'd told him. It was odd… But that didn't matter. Max definitely wouldn't be.

I creep to the door to her room, down the hall. I slowly open it.

I wish I hadn't.

I see her standing in the center of her room, in the comforting embrace of someone else. And most importantly, she's in a passionate liplock with the stranger. The kiss breaks, and I can't believe what I'm seeing. It's none other than Terry McGinnis, standing before me, with the woman I love in his arms.

"McGinnis…" I seethe, my voice just loud enough to catch his attention. He looks up, a startled look on his features. Max looks just as surprised. No, not surprised. Ashamed. Ashamed that she moved on so quickly. _To him. Of course she ran at full speed toward the god forsaken Batman, _I think, the rage bubbling inside my chest.

"Gabriel!" McGinnis says, obviously trying to calm me down. "We were going to tell you, we just had to figure out how." He says evenly.

I laugh. "How?" I ask. "How were you going to tell me?" I ask him, stepping closer. "You were my best friend." I tell him, my face twisting into a mask of rage.

"I still am." He says, stepping back. Max had left his embrace, backing away from me. Terry was tense, ready for me to make my move.

"You're dead to me." I say, almost in a whisper, hate in my eyes.

I strike.

Terry moves to counter but, he hadn't counted on my new speed. The punch landed, and it landed hard, right on his cheek. He was thrown into the wall of her room, impacting painfully, then hitting the floor. He struggles to his feet, dazed.

"Gabriel…" He whispers. "You don't have to- Do this…" He says, his mouth filling with blood. "We can still- Fix this…" His stance was shaky.

I roared, throwing a spinning back kick, putting him through the wall. He flew across the street, landing painfully on the roof of the next building. I turn to Max, still frozen a few feet from me. "You…." I spit at her. "This is your fault." I tell her. "Your slutting around caused this!" I shout, and she flinches. I turn toward the door, kicking it off it's hinges. I pause, thinking about what I'd just done. Then I shrug, and storm out. _They aren't my problem anymore, _I think.

I go out, dressed in my Arrow suit for the first time in months. I was ready. I had gotten a tip from one of the League's informants about a Jokerz weapon shipment coming in across town. I had finally found a good vantage point, right above the spot where the meet would go down. I nocked an arrow as I saw the Jokerz pull up on their cycles. _Now we wait… _

A van pulls up about an hour later. A short, chubby, unkempt man steps out, motioning the Jokerz over. He opens the back of his van, revealing hundreds of thousands in custom hardware. I draw my bow.

_Release. _

The arrow strikes the arms dealer in the back of the knee, causing him to drop. The Jokerz turn, firing their pistols at me. I duck behind the ledge for cover, popping up and firing a flashbang arrow at them. As it detonates, they scatter, blind and disoriented. I leap into the smoke, disabling them one by one. Soon, I stand in a ring of beaten, bloody, and broken dregs. And I laugh.

I kick one. "Weakling." I say as he screams. I kick him again. "Coward." And once more. "Waste!" I shout. A batarang pierces the ground next to my foot.

"That's enough, Queen." I hear McGinnis say from the same rooftop I'd dropped in from. "You're done with them." He says, do doubt angry about the thrashing he'd gotten.

"But not with you." I reply. "I've only gotten started with you." I say, nocking and firing an arrow in the blink of an eye, piercing McGinnis' shoulder.

He screams in pain, stepping back and pulling the arrow out. He grunts, tossing the arrow aside and using his jet boots to get down to street level.

We stand across from each other. I toss my bow to one side. _I don't need it for this_, I think to myself.

A moment passes. He charges in, kicking at my waist. I drop my elbow on his ankle, hearing a sharp snap. McGinnis screams, stumbling back. He throws a punch, only to have it caught, and his own nose broken by my counter attack. I shove him, causing him to go flying across the street. He hits the ground, and doesn't move. I begin to walk toward him, ready to end it.

Suddenly, he sits up, throwing a batarang at my head. It catches me off guard, and connects with the right side of my face. I recoil, looking back quickly. _Wait… _

It hits me.

_I can only see out of my left eye. _

I scream, the rage dulling the pain. I sprint to where he's lying, picking up by his throat, holding him high. I hear him choking. I feel his trachea contract.

"No!" I hear a voice behind me. "Please no!" It begs me.

I drop him, hearing the painful thud as he hits the concrete. I turn to see Max, tears streaming down her face, my predatory eyes boring into her soft green ones.

"Max." I say dully. "So glad you could make it." I say, a smile crossing my face.

"Just stop." She says, still sobbing. "Leave him alone." She says. "Kill me." She begs, falling to her knees, her tears finally overcoming her, sobs racking her small frame. I stop, my mind processing her request.

"No." I say plainly. "No, that isn't what I want…" I say, walking away from her, away from Terry's broken form. "None of this is what I wanted." I whisper to myself, tears running from my left eyes, blood from my right. I leave my two former friends broken in different ways on the street. _My eye isn't the only thing I've lost tonight… _I think as I wander off, onto a path I never thought I'd have to take. A lonely one.

I fire at the target, missing by a foot. I'd been trying all day, but there was no way to have any sort of accuracy. My dominant eye was completely blind. The white orb was just for show, now. Doomed to an eternal unseeing stare.

I had set up shop in an old abandoned Queen Consolidated warehouse. I had been trying to hit the target for a month, even going to far as to write R'as for advice. He had replied, saying he would send in a specialist. A man who had dealt with his very same problem. This so-called specialist hadn't arrived yet. And my accuracy was still non existent.

I threw the bow as hard as I could at the sheet steel wall. It dented, and thew bow broke in half. _More useful that way now, anyway… _My thoughts we disturbed by a stirring at the other side of the warehouse. I turned toward the darkness.

"Show yourself." I say, ready for a fight.

"Your other sense have definitely improved." Says the figure stepping out of the shadows.

I step back, shocked as I see him. The copper and black mask and armor was unmistakable. Deathstroke was R'as' expert. _The exact same problem, _I think.

"Hello, Gabriel." He says. "Don't worry, I'm not here to fight." He says, holding up his hands. "I'm here on behalf of your old master." He tells me.

"Owe him a favor, Slade?" I ask, a smirk appearing on my face.

"A dip in the Lazarus Bath has a cost." He says, a light laugh escaping his mask. "I heard you could use some training in dealing with a blind spot."

"Maybe." I say. "What do you have to teach?" I ask.

"Don't condescend me, boy." He says. "You've seen me fight." He says, stepping forward. "Interested?" He asks, leaning in until he's inches from me.

I take a moment to think. "You want to teach me the sword?" I ask.

"Not just the sword." He says. "I could use…" He turns, walking away, thinking. He turns back. "An apprentice." He finishes. "The swords, the guns, the explosives." He tells me. "All of it."

I think. This would end it. My days of trying to be like Oliver Queen. My archery, my days spent with Terry, with Max.

Max.

She was no longer of any concern, and she was now the deciding factor.

"I accept." I say, giving Slade a martial arts style bow. "Teach me well, Slade."

And so ended my days as Arrow.


End file.
